A variety of commercial products require a can or similar container that can be reclosed and resealed one or more times after being initially opened.
Cans for paint or similar products are usually of the above described type. Very often only a portion of the contents of the can is used immediately after the can is first opened. It then becomes necessary to re-engage the lid on the container to prevent hardening or other deterioration of the remaining contents from exposure to the atmosphere.
A common form of can or container for materials of the above discussed kind has an open upper end defined by rim structure that is of slightly greater diameter than the adjacent portions of the can or container. The lid or closure for the container has a downwardly extending corrugation around the edge that is proportioned to fit within the container rim and to be slightly compressed in the process so that the lid is held at the container opening by frictional resistance to removal. In a common form of can or container of this type, the corrugation around the edge of the lid is fitted into a groove in the container rim.
Closing of paint cans or the like of the above described type requires application of a significant amount of force to the edge of the lid as it is being engaged on the container. Further, such force must be exerted at least somewhat evenly at successive points around the periphery of the lid to assure that it will be fully engaged and will fully seal the container. Specialized can closing mechanism may be used at the factory for this purpose but such apparatus is too bulky and costly to be employed elsewhere by many persons who may need to reclose such containers.
A procedure commonly used by such persons to reclose paint containers or the like is to repetitively tap on successive portions of the edge of the lid with a rubber mallet or some other object that may be pressed into service for the purpose. It is difficult to distribute the force evenly around the edge of the lid by this technique. Portions of the lid which have already been engaged may be disengaged or slightly unseated by subsequent tapping on the opposite portion. This prolongs the closing operation or, if undetected, may cause subsequent spoiling of spilling or the contents of the container. Deformation of the edge of the lid is also a common occurence.
Tools designed for opening cans or the like are not adaptable to reclosing operations of the above described kind. A common form of can opener, for example, has a pair of handle members pivoted together at one end and shaped to be grasped in one hand of the operator. A drive wheel on one handle member rides against the underside of the can rim and is turned with a crank grasped by the other hand of the operator. A sharp cutting wheel on the other handle member is forced through the can lid by squeezing the two handles together and then cuts the lid from the can as the crank is turned. It is possible to apply an even cutting force to successive portions of the lid but such devices destroy the lid and thus are not suitable for reclosing and resealing paint containers or the like.
It would be advantageous if a compact and economical tool were available which would enable application of an even closing force around the edge of resealable containers in a rapid and reliable manner.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.